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The 2011 Postal Rate Increase: An Internet Marketer's Midwinter Night's Dream
September 27, 2010

As an online marketer, I want to thank Mr. Postmaster General and the honorable members of the Postal Regulatory Commission. I cannot wait until you raise postage rates come January. Now some people may not agree with me, but I applaud your efforts to consistently raise postage rates. 

Retail Container Traffic Forecasted to be Up 16% in September
September 9, 2010

Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to be up 16 percent in September over the same month last year, but 2010 has already hit its peak and numbers will decline through the remainder of the year, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

Retail Container Traffic Forecasted to be Up 15% in 2010
August 9, 2010

Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to total 14.5 million containers for 2010, a 15 percent increase over last year’s unusually low numbers as the economy continues its cautious recovery, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

Retailers Face Rising Shipping Costs as Cargo Space is at a Premium
July 28, 2010

Fighting for freight, retailers are outbidding each other to score scarce cargo space on ships, paying two to three times last year’s freight rates — in some cases, the highest rates in five years. And still, many are getting merchandise weeks late.

Setting the Best Postage Rates for Catalogs and Direct Mail
July 26, 2010

The direct marketing industry needs to focus on getting the USPS to set the smartest postage rates for catalogs, magazines, saturation mail for retailers and direct mail. It’s in the best interest of the USPS to respond to guidance from the mailing community because direct mail is a major source of profitable mail volume. The Post Office should be focused on increasing its profitable volume rather than ratcheting up postage rates again and having volume and profits dwindle as a result.

USPS Signs Service Agreement With NTIS
July 22, 2010

The U.S. Postal Service and the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) have agreed to jointly provide fulfillment, information management services and customer maintenance to federal agencies to enable them to serve the needs of their departments.

USPS and Commerce Dept. Expand Strategic Partnership
July 12, 2010

Responding to the call for a doubling of exports over the next five years through the National Export Initiative, officials with the U.S. Postal Service and U.S. Department of Commerce are leveraging their strategic partnership to launch a business plan aimed at empowering American businesses interested in exporting as a pathway to growth. A partnership agreement signed at Postal Service headquarters today establishes an outreach strategy between representatives of the Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration and U.S. Commercial Service, and the Postal Service's Global Business team.

U.S. Postal Service Files for Significant Rate Increases
July 6, 2010

The U.S. Postal Service on Tuesday proposed a 2-cent increase in the price of a first-class stamp, bringing the cost to 46 cents. The change, if approved, will go into effect on Jan. 2. Rates on packages, periodicals and special services are also set to increase under the proposed plan. The hike would generate about $3 billion in the first fiscal year, according to the Postal Service, not even half of the shortfall. The Postal Regulatory Commission, which oversees the Postal Service, needs to approve the increase. The commission, whose five members are appointed by the president, has 90 days to rule.

Postal Service Hears From Businesses on 5-Day Delivery Week
June 23, 2010

What do CVS Caremark Corp. and a northwest Michigan newspaper have in common? They both rely heavily on Saturday mail delivery. So when the Postal Regulatory Commission held a hearing Monday at City Hall, they came out to speak against the U.S. Postal Service's plan to eliminate Saturday delivery, which would save $3 billion annually. Under the plan, letter carriers would not deliver mail or pick up letters from blue collection boxes on Saturdays. Mail would be accepted at post offices on Saturdays, but it wouldn't be processed until after the weekend. Express mail and remittance mail services would continue seven days a week. The plan comes as the Postal Service is faced with a projected $238 billion deficit over the next decade.